A leading child abuse campaigner has expressed concern over delays to justice after five men in a Rochdale rape gang were sentenced to a total of 70 years in jail eight years after the abuse was first reported.
Maggie Oliver, the Rochdale whistleblower who quit the force in 2012 to expose police failures in dealing with abuse gangs, told GB News that she was troubled by “unacceptable and inhumane delays” to justice.
Oliver’s statement comes after five men were sentenced yesterday to more than 70 years in total after subjecting two teenage girls to “appalling abuse” in Rochdale from 2002 to 2006.
The abuse was first reported by one of the victims in 2015 during a parenting class, which led to council officials referring it to the police.
The other victim, known to the court as Girl B, was then contacted by the police as they conducted a “multi-agency” investigation into the non-recent abuse.
The schoolgirls would often be picked up outside school gates in their uniforms before being plied with alcohol and drugs before being subjected to abuse.
WATCH: GB News' Charlie Peters reacts to the 'inhumane' delays
Girl A told the parenting course workers that she was “abused daily for six years.
“I was 12 when they began to abuse me, feeding me alcohol and drugs, abuse me and pass me on to their friends.
“They did as they pleased, they made videos of me to use as blackmail.”
Jahn Shahid Ghani, 50, was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment for six counts of sexual assault and one count of causing a child to engage in sexual activity. He was described as a “sex addict” who would give Girl A up to 10 ecstasy tablets at a time when abusing her.
His younger brother, Mohammed Ghani, 39, was sentenced to 14 years for five counts of sexual assault.
Insar Hussain, 38, was sentenced to 17 years for one count of rape and two counts of sexual assault.
Ali Razza Hussain Kazmi, 36, was sentenced to eight years for one count of rape and two counts of sexual intercourse with a child.
Martin Rhodes, 39, was sentenced to 12 years six months for four counts of sexual assault.
Maggie Oliver speaks to GB News
GB NEWS
Oliver told GB News: “While I’m encouraged to see the court finally imposing longer sentences for these abusers which better reflect the magnitude of these horrendous crimes, I am still very concerned by the length of time it has taken for this case to reach trial.
“The time period from first reporting their abuse to police to reaching trial has been almost 8 years! And these victims still have to endure another four trials still to come.
Oliver, who now runs the Maggie Oliver Foundation which supports victims of child sexual abuse, added: “This replicates many cases we are currently dealing with the police where we see delays and missteps which lead to unnecessary and incredibly long delays.
“This is just unacceptable and inhumane as these delays compound the trauma victims are already suffering and prevents them from getting the help they so desperately need in order to begin to move on. I really admire these two survivors for their strength and bravery in pursuing these cases.”
She added: “Whilst I know from my own experience the complexities around these cases, I believe we must do better to progress these cases faster and put victims and their needs front and centre rather than treating them as an afterthought.”
Reacting to the sentencing, Greater Manchester Police Senior Investigating Officer Detective Chief Inspector Guy Laycock said: “First and foremost, I want to put on record my thanks to the survivors. Throughout our investigation and this trial, they have put their trust in my team and have demonstrated extraordinary resilience in the face of their traumatic experiences at the hands of these abhorrent offenders. GMP and specialist support services will continue to support them for as long as they need.
“Years’ of hard work have brought us to this point and it would be amiss not to recognise the invaluable contribution of staff from Rochdale Council who have played an essential role in helping us to identify and engage with victims, and the Crown Prosecution Service with whom we built a strong case which secured the convictions of these men and these lengthy sentences – ensuring they are held accountable and prevented from causing further harm.
“Whilst the force’s approach to child sexual exploitation is now more proactive than ever before, with a real focus on preventing those who are identified as being at risk from becoming victims in the first place, this case and today’s result is a positive example of how, when crimes are sadly committed, multi-agency partnerships work together to support victims and survivors, and relentlessly pursue offenders – regardless of the time passed.”
Last year, three victims of rape gangs in Rochdale received “substantial” damages and an apology after Greater Manchester Police admitted that it had let them down.
In April, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that the Rochdale child grooming scandal was “one of the greatest failures of our society” as he announced a new “crackdown” on grooming gangs.
Alongside Home Secretary Suella Braverman, the government revealed a new grooming gangs taskforce led by the National Crime Agency and additional funding for data officers for police forces.
